


Acceptance of the Dark

by BlackIris



Series: Fucking February 2018 [15]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fucking February 2018, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 03:19:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13695771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackIris/pseuds/BlackIris
Summary: Fucking February 2018Day 15: Romance





	Acceptance of the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Un-beta’d, I caught more Steve feels, and yeah. If PTSD and such aren’t your thing, please skip this one.

Steve zoned out, well, had been zoning out. Pencil trapped between his fingers, but no longer moving across the page. His stare, long and unfocused cut through the void in front of him, continuing into nothingness. Or possibly it drifted to the past, only the fates would know. He never talked about it that much – the past, that is. But it always hung around, even with everything so new and different around him. 

Luckily for his distracted, unfocused mind, Darcy didn’t mind these moments of dark reflection. She took them as they were; a sad, twisted part of him that would be ever present. Even with all the goodness he possessed, there were darker parts of him that flickered in and out of his mind. 

Darcy knew she could never be the one to take these painful moments fully away from him. Knowing that he would have them always. But, she did know that she’d always be there so he wouldn’t have to go through them alone. She could make the shadows that fell over his face less dark, less overbearing. 

And since he rarely ever talked about them, even less so with her, she asked Sam to help him find a group to talk with. People he could relate to. And when that wouldn’t help as much as it normally did, she did as much as she could. Darcy talked Tony into buying a small boxing gym near the tower, for Steve and other veterans to use, to help them heal. 

When the boxing works its charm, wearing him down enough to relax, she’s there. She’s there with his new favorite comfort foods, one’s she’s made herself and ones from his favorite bakery. Darcy’s also there with a gentle smile and nod that convince him to follow her down the hall. Only to find the bathroom gently lite with tea candles and the tub filled with lavender scented water. A calming way to ease his body and mind, as well as hers. 

Darcy’s there when his dreams become violent flashes of his war torn past, relived in a fevered sleep. Tugging him close, threading fingers through his hair, humming softly as his breathes even out; she’s there. 

She’s his rock as much as he is hers. Steve used to think that it was better to feel pain than nothing at all. That’s what he had been used to for so long; constant pain in one form or another. But, as it turns out, the longer he was with Darcy, the more and more he realized how much it wasn’t true. That he didn’t have to feel pain, that sometimes, it was simple okay just to be. She propelled his progress, aiding him forward when he simply wanted to stand still like a statue, letting time pass around him. 

Oh, he had been stubborn, like he always had been. But he realized, that all in all, he needed, more than ever, to show her that he knew what she did for him every day with her silent gestures and kind caresses. Show her in little ways, little actions like she did for him. His idea was simple and kind, it wouldn’t be a grand gesture, nor would it be the last. But new just what to do to make her know how much he still cares. 

\-----

Steve was always up before Darcy, so today’s extra early rise didn’t seem like anything out of the norm. Darcy grumbles in her mostly asleep state as the bed shifts and becomes colder as Steve leaves. Her batting hand moving slowly across the bed in search of him causes a smile to break across his face. He always finds the sight of her asleep in their bed one of the most calming things. 

“Go back to sleep, sweetheart,” he murmurs to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be back after my run, promise.”

Darcy groans in reply, burying herself further into the blankets. 

\-----

When Darcy awakes, she smells coffee and bacon. Humming contently, she stretches, reaching for her robe. 

Bouncing into the kitchen, she smiles at Steve as he flips a pancake. 

“I didn’t hear you come in. You should have woken me.” 

“You looked too cute to wake up.” Darcy eyes him playfully, smirking before pecking his lips. “Coffee’s ready for ya.” 

Near the coffee pot sits her favorite mug, causing her smile to grow. “Thanks, mister.” 

“And, if you check the coffee table.. might find a little something, something.” 

“A little something, something? At this hour? But you’re dressed and in the kitchen? Whatever could be in the living room?” Darcy quips, taking a sip of coffee to hide her smile. 

“Ha, ha, Darcy baby.” 

“I’m going, I’m going.” 

Moving into the living room, Darcy’s breath is taken away at the sight before her. An elegant large glass vase sits in the middle of the table, full of soft purple roses. Her hand flies to her heart as she smiles and her eyes begin to water but not fully tear. 

Turning off the burner, Steve goes to check on her, her silence concerning him. 

He wraps his arms around her waist, dropping his head to her shoulder. “What’d you think?” He mumbles into her curls, pulling her close. 

“Steve, they’re beautiful! You didn’t have to.” 

“Of course, I did. I need to show Mrs. Rogers just how much I appreciate her, just because.” 

“Just because?” Darcy turns in his arms, eyeing him again. “Did you hit your head while running with Sam and Bucky? Do I need to have a talk with them?” 

Steve laughs, smiling down at her, “Not at all sweetheart. I just don’t want you to forget that you’re my best gal.” 

“Such a charmer.” 

“Only for you.” 

“Good answer. Now come here, I need to thank you properly.”


End file.
